Daesh/ISIS official reportedly killed in eastern Syria

BAGHDAD

The leader of the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group in Iraq was killed in an airstrike in eastern Syria, the Iraqi government said on Tuesday.

According to a statement by the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service, Moataz Numan Abdel Nayef Najm al-Jabouri was killed in an airstrike in Syria's Deir ez-Zour province.

It said the airstrike was carried out by the US-led international coalition using accurate intelligence information provided by Iraq.

The statement said within the terrorist group Al-Jabouri was known as “the governor of Iraq.”

It said he was “the associate leader of the terrorist group [Daesh] ISIS for provinces affairs and was responsible for planning and coordinating external terrorist operations.”

The US-led international coalition has yet to confirm or comment on the news.

In late 2017, Baghdad declared there was no longer any Daesh/ISIS presence in Iraq.

However, the terrorist group still maintains a presence in rural areas of Anbar, Diyala, Kirkuk, Saladin, and Mosul.

The Iraqi army continues to carry out frequent operations against the group in various parts of the country.

* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat